What Is the Four-Day Week and Why Is It Being Discussed? (Part 3)

Despite its promise, the four-day week is not without challenges. For Trade Unions, like the WEU, it is essential to weigh the risks and realities alongside the benefits.

Sectoral Barriers

Not all industries can easily adapt to a shorter week.

Health and social care, transport, retail, and hospitality rely on seven-day coverage, often 24/7. Without substantial increases in staffing, cutting hours risks placing heavier pressure on existing workers.

In the NHS, where 12.5-hour shifts are already common, compressing hours could worsen fatigue and burnout rather than solve it.

These pressures highlight that any move toward a four-day week must be tailored to sector-specific needs, not imposed as a one-size-fits-all solution.

Customer Service and Business Concerns

Employers worry about customer expectations and responsiveness.

A 2023 Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) survey found that 34% of employers believed reduced availability could damage client relationships.

In competitive sectors with tight margins, the risk of slower response times turning customers away cannot be ignored.

Technology can bridge some of this gap, but it cannot replace face-to-face service in frontline roles.

Risks of “Compressed Hours” – The Right Model is Needed

There is a danger that some employers will rebrand the four-day week while simply squeezing the same workload into longer days.

Evidence from NHS staff on extended shifts shows increased fatigue, health risks, and family disruption.

If a “four-day week” just means four 10–12 hour shifts, workers will not see the promised gains in well-being, and the benefits of shorter hours will be lost.

This makes Trade union negotiation critical, to ensure genuine reductions in hours, not cosmetic changes.

Financial and Staffing Costs

For some businesses, particularly small firms, the costs of a transition are daunting.

To maintain service levels, employers may rely on agency staff or overtime, driving up costs.

The UK pilot found that while most firms maintained or improved revenue, a minority struggled with resourcing.

For workers in low-margin industries, the fear is that employers could resist or try to recoup costs through wage restraint.

Childcare Contradictions

On paper, a four-day week offers parents more time at home. But if hours are extended into evenings, the clash with school and nursery times could actually worsen.

The UK already has some of the highest childcare costs in Europe.

Without reforms in childcare provision, the benefits of shorter weeks may be uneven, helping some families while leaving others worse off.

Cultural and Organisational Resistance

The four-day week challenges ingrained workplace cultures.

Many employers still equate “productivity” with being visibly present for long hours.

Without strong Trade Union oversight, there is a risk of “fake” reforms: compressed hours, unpaid overtime, or performance pressure disguised as flexibility.

Winning genuine change requires a cultural shift in how work is valued and measured.

A Summary of the 3 part Series

A Cautious Step Forward

The four-day week is no miracle cure but it does hold potential. However unless issues of staffing, childcare, and funding are addressed, workers may carry the risks while employers pocket the savings.

For Trade Unions, the question is not whether the five-day grind should end, it is how to ensure any new model works in the interests of workers first.

The evidence is clear: the four-day week can bring major gains in health, productivity, and work–life balance. Yet the challenges are also real, especially in frontline services, small businesses, and sectors with intense staffing demands.

For the trade union movement, the task is to shape the debate rather than reject it.

A shorter working week is part of our history and part of our future. But if it is to succeed, it must mean shorter hours for the same pay, not compressed days, unpaid overtime, or heavier workloads.

A fair reasonable position is one of openness with caution. The English economy and business across England must be prepared to explore the four-day week, building on international evidence and Trade Union traditions.

But before committing fully, further discussion with workers across England, employers, and government on how to make it fair, practical, and sustainable are essential.

The five-day week was not handed down, it was won by workers across England, demanding to be treated fairly. If the four-day week is to be the next great step forward, it must be fought for and shaped by workers across England once again.